Jack is a male given name, although in some cases it can be used as a female given name,
and sometimes as a surname.
In English it is traditionally used as the diminutive form of the name John, though it
is also often given as a proper name in its own right.
The name Jack is unique in the English language for the frequency of its use as a verb and
a noun for many common objects and actions; and also its use in many compound words and
phrases: jack-of-all-trades, jackknife, jackpot, jack tar, hijack, union jack, jack straw,
apple jack, lumberjack, jackhammer, jackdaw, jack o'lantern, jack-off, jack-in-the-box,
jack of clubs, etc.
The Encyclopædia Britannica article on the history of the word "jack" linked it directly
to the common name: "Jack, a word with a great variety of meanings and applications, all
traceable to the common use of the word as a by-name of a man."
Origin Jack is thought to harken back to medieval
times as a common derivative of the name John.
The nickname has also been seen as Jackie among men.
This "Jackie" diminutive of the nickname Jack is thought by some to have hailed from the
earlier "Jackin".
Alternatively it may be derived from the name Jacques, which is the French form of the name
Jacob.
There is also a theory that it is Celtic in origin, meaning "Healthy, Strong, Full of
Vital Energy", from a putative Ancient British *Jakkios.
Whatever its origin, the name and also the word "jack" were long used as a term to refer
to any man, especially of the common classes.
Frequency Given name
In recent years, the nickname Jack has become increasingly used as the actual formal name
for boys in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the United States.
Jack was included on lists of the most frequently used male baby names in the UK for 2003–2007.
The high status of Jack as a formal male given name is a recent phenomenon, although the
formal name from which it derives – John – has held the title, along with William,
of most frequent male name throughout the 1880s and first half of the 1900s.
For all of the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, William or John held the title
of most frequent male given name.
A closer look at London shows that in 1994 "Jack" was the most popular name in the city,
but does not appear among the top-ten most popular in the preceding 970 years.
A survey in December 2008 showed that Jack was the most popular name in the UK for the
14th year running, since it took over from Thomas in 1994.
In 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013, Jack was the most common boy's name in Australia.
According to the United States Census of 1990, "Jack" is an uncommon American name, the given
name for 0.315% of the male population and 0.001% of the female population.
However, the frequency of use of "Jack" as a baby name has steadily increased from the
160–170 rank prior to 1991 to a rank of 35 in 2006.
Jock is the Scottish form of the name John.
Its similarity to the common John derivative or nickname Jack is apparent.
Surname The appearance of "Jack" as a surname is much
less frequent than its use as a male given name.
In 1990 United States, this surname is shared by about 0.007% of the population, though
the geographical distribution of the surname has been broad since at least 1840, at which
time there was a modest concentration of Jacks in Pennsylvania.
In the late 19th century, the geographic distribution of Jacks in England was also broad, with enrichment
in North East England, Yorkshire and the Humber and southern North West England.
In 1891, the highest concentration of Jacks in the United Kingdom appeared in Scotland.
The surname is considered almost exclusively Scottish.
List of people with given name Jack Jack the Bulldog, Georgetown University mascot
Jack the Ripper, pseudonym of unidentified London serial killer active from 1888 to 1891
Jack Albertson, American actor Jack Black, derivative of John; American actor,
musician and comedian Jack Dugger, deriv. of John; American football
player Jack Hoffman, American football player
Jack Kerouac, deriv. of Jean-Louis; American novelist
Jack Kevorkian,deriv. of Jacob; American doctor Jack Klugman, deriv. of Thomas Jacob; American
actor Jack Lemmon, deriv. of John; American actor
Jack McConnell, former First Minister of Scotland Jack Nicholson, deriv. of John; American actor
Jack Nicklaus, American golfer Jack Palance, American actor
Jack Reed, Several people Jack Souther, an American-Canadian geologist
Jack Straw, deriv. of John; British politician Jack Vance, deriv. of John; American author
Jack Vettriano, Scottish painter Jack Wilshere, English footballer
Jack Kennedy, deriv of John; American President Jack in fiction
Jack, an archetypal English hero TV characters
Jack Bauer, main character in the TV series 24
Jack Branning, fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders
Jack Shephard, main character in the TV series Lost
Jack Harkness, main character in the TV series Torchwood & reappearing character in the TV
series Doctor Who Jack O'Neill, main character in the TV series
Stargate SG-1.
Jack Tripper, fictional character in the TV sitcom series Three's Company and Three's
a Crowd Jack Donaghy, fictional character in the TV
series 30 Rock Jack Bowser, a character from the reboot of
Electric Company in their 24 Seconds segments.
Jack Carter, a character in the TV series Eureka
Jack Landors 1st Red SPD Ranger" Ultraman Jack, from the 1971 tokatsu series
The Return of Ultraman Film characters
Jack Sparrow, fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Jack Torrance, fictional character from the film The Shining.
Jack Reacher, fictional character from the film of the same name
Jack Skellington, fictional character from the film Nightmare before Christmas
Jack Dawson, fictional character from the 1997 film Titanic
Jack Bell, from Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line.
Jack Frost, fictional character from the film Rise of the Guardians.
Jack Crawford, fictional character from the film The Silence of the Lambs.
Jack Campbell, fictional character from the film The Family Man
Jack Burton, fictional character from the film Big Trouble in Little China
Jack Ryan - a fictional character from the Tom Clancy films
Jack Powell, fictional character from the film of the same name Jack.
Music Ballin' the Jack - a popular song that introduced
a dance of the same name Jack Straw - a song by The Grateful Dead
Captain Jack - the title of an early Billy Joel song about a heroin dealer
Hit the Road Jack - a song written by Percy Mayfield and recorded by various artists
Big Jack - a song by AC/DC The Jack - a song by AC/DC
Happy Jack - a song by The Who, and the U.S. title of their second album
Jack and Diane - a song by John Mellencamp Smackwater Jack - a ballad by Carole King
Jack Barakat - lead guitarist for punk rock band All Time Low
Hey Jack Kerouac - a song by 10,000 Maniacs Literary characters
Jack and the Beanstalk, a classical story Jack Aubrey, an officer in the Royal Navy
of the Napoleonic Wars, one of the two main characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series
by Patrick O'Brian Comics
Jack, a furry webcomic by David Hopkins Jack Noir, one of the main villains in Homestuck
Nursery rhymes Jack and the Beanstalk, an old fairy tale
known throughout the world Jack and Jill, a nursery rhyme
Jack Be Nimble, a nursery rhyme Jack sprat, a nursery rhyme
Little Jack Horner, a nursery rhyme Video games
Jack, a squad member from the Mass Effect series.
It is worth noting that she is female, and "Jack" is merely a nickname.
Her real name is revealed to be Jennifer in Mass Effect 3.
Handsome Jack, the main antagonist from Borderlands 2.
Jack from the Metal Gear Solid series.
Jack, also from the Metal Gear Solid series.
Jack Wynand, the silent protagonist of Bioshock.
Jack of Blades, the antagonist of Fable.
Jack Tait, the homophobic and racist protagonist of Grand Theft Auto.
Jack Cayman, the protagonist of MadWorld and Anarchy Reigns
Other Jack, the official spokesman for the American
restaurant chain Jack in the Box Jack Frost, mythological bringer of winter
Jack Pattillo of Achievement Hunter Eyeless Jack, a creepypasta character that
steals people's organs Laughing Jack, the killer clown from creepypasta
See also Jack
Jock Jacques
James References